These are some questions based on our last column, “Efficient Working: Karmasu Kaushalam(2:50-51).”

Please send your questions or comments to -- We will try to answer selected ones.

Question 1.Vinay Agarwala wrote: - Before engaging in any action one obviously has an intention to accomplish something. One then plans one's action so the intended outcome is achieved. This is where the skill comes in. Once the action is planned one simply follows the plan without worrying about the results. If the planning were good, the intended outcome would be there.

Answer:This is a great question because it really deals with our practical life. This sounds so simple. Plan, execute (do karma) and then do not worry about the result. And I might agree with that as well. But, it is not that simple. Krishna has made a comment in gita later that the ‘gati (movements) of Karma is gahan (complex).’ The movements of ‘karma to result’ are not always linear in real life.

Don’t worry about the result is used quite commonly and its use has become similar to ‘don’t worry, be happy.’ Just by saying ‘don’t worry,’ the worry does not disappear. Similarly, as a doctor I tell patients not to get tensed up (and relax). But, this does not work. “Don’t worry about the results” has become like a slogan and nothing more than that. Expectation is normal. When we say not to expect a result, what result are we talking about? The result can be an expected result, unexpected result and an un-expectable result.

Planning needs a clear mind. The conditioning of moha normally clouds mind. Once moha is dropped then clarity sets in and one can plan with a decisive mind. That much, although not very simple can be comprehended. Then comes the karma. The result is not that simple.

The whole progress is not linear. Examples help. We had a family vacation in St. Thomas. All of us had a great time. We returned home. We were all tired. When we came home we found out that there had been a fire in our house. Our neighbor fortunately noticed smoke early, and called the fire brigade. The house was there but there was a lot of smoke damage. This result was unexpected. We did not expect this result. Does it mean that it was ‘nishkam karma’ on our part? Most of us will agree that it doe not. Every one has this kind of example in their life.

Now let us look at what happened on 9/11. Two jet liners fully laden with fuel slammed in to the twin towers of world trade center (WTC). We all know what happened next. Recently, train was set ablaze in the town of Godhra. These results were to my understanding un-expectable. What happened could not have been imagined or predicted.

The purists of karma yoga will say that whatever happens has a karma behind it. The karma might not be obvious and it may not relate to this life only. Whatever be the truth, one thing is clear; Karma to result is not a linear or even circular relationship. Karma to result most likely is a chaotic movement and is not always predictable.

And that is why I find ‘accepting the result as it comes’ a better way of understanding Krishna’s views in these shlokas. There is no other choice any way. This acceptance, when looked closely, is based on total trust in the existence. That is why we have a saying that ‘whatever Parmatma does is right.’ Wrong does not happen in existence. The result to many can be acceptable or unacceptable. When it is not accepted, tensions arise. And, that may even lead to illnesses. Arjuna is in a state of shock. He cannot accept the fact that he has to fight for real and kill people who have been so close to him. And this brings in the next question, “Accept and then what.”

Question 2.Natalia Gruscha from Finland writes: I like your attitude on life. You take whatever comes to you and stay content. How do you deal with the feeling that you could be better? Or do you ever feel like that?

Answer:Natalia points out to the fact that ‘accepting and staying put’ will lead us to stagnation. And I would agree with that. But Krishna does not say that you should stay put. Accepting the result as it comes is the first part. Once you accept it, then comes the next part of a proper response.

What happens if we do not accept the result? We get frustrated and angry. How can our mind be clear for an appropriate response in such a situation? The intellect is covered with the emotions arising from not accepting the result. A clear mind is required for any response. The response can be proper only if the mind is clear, as we learned in the earlier part of Buddhi yoga.

So, when I propose that we should accept the result, I mean to say that accepting the result as it comes helps us get to a proper response. And without a proper response, there is no chance to become better.

Q 3 From Nata as wellI realized today that I'm slowly sliding towards misery. Lately I have been giving up things so fast - tea, chocolate, sugar - because I have this continuous complain inside of me that says I should do more. All the time, little by little it starts to feel it is not possible for me to live happily in this society if I don't stop being so strict. The seed of fear has started to grow in my heart, and I need to do something about this. Now.

Do you ever have this kind of problems? What to do when your self- esteem is based on self-discipline and you can't go any further in it?

Answer:We all have had this trouble. My wife and me have these differences too. She believes that we must be dissatisfied to proceed further. If we are fully content, there will be no desire or ambition to proceed. The second point you bring in is the point of goodness. We all want to be good in our own moral rights and values. Both of them in my view are related.

A moralist person (like Mahatma Gandhi) believes in imposing goodness on mankind. And there is nothing wrong in that. But, if the self- discipline is not that good, such a man is always behind schedule. He/she is never perfect, because perfection is not possible.

A Dharmik person (e.g. Krishna) has total trust in existence. He believes in spontaneous overflow of energy that has to be translated in work (karma). And, we then are not limited by our own limited desires. Such a person is capable of much more than he can imagine. Look at people like Vivekananda, Prabhupaad, and the like. They seem to have unlimited energy and cross the human boundary of achievements.

And therein lies the secret of achieving great heights that we cannot even dream ourselves. If we drop our desires we suddenly open up to the desires of the existence (say Krishna) and all the energy that was not available to us becomes available. Competition is limited by the capabilities of the opponent, excellence is limited by our own capabilities, surrender to Parmatma or Krishna (total trust in existence) is only limited (if at all) by the capabilities of the beyond.

Pranam, I can understand that one should not bother about the result out of actions. And actions should be performed in sum-bhava. But how do we decide what action to perform? We have been given a choice to perform actions. It is good to perform actions in sum-bhava, but how to decide which actions to perform?